Slayers REGAL
by Sunfreak
Summary: Some yaoi. A slightly Amelia-centric epic, told from her point of view and covering her growth as the heir of Seyruun as well as the adventures of her infamous companions' search for dinner- er, that is, chimera cures, and magic swords, and . . .
1. Zelgadis's Lover?! Kissing In the Garden...

Prologue: Zelgadis's Lover?! Kissing in the Garden of Injustice!  
  
I don't believe it.  
  
They . . . were kissing! In the garden, where anyone could see them!  
  
Zelgadis-san and- and . . . oh, I can't even say it! It's too unfair!  
  
They can't be in love, they just can't be! It doesn't make any sense! They're always fighting and teasing each other, and they never get along at all, just like . . . just like . . .  
  
Just like Lina-san and Gourry-san have been since the day I met them. And I'm sure that they're in love- Lina chose Gourry over the fate of the entire world, and he followed her into the Sea of Chaos itself to get her back. So why can't Zelgadis-san and- and that person be in love, if they are? They have more in common than Lina and Gourry ever will.  
  
Except . . . it's nice knowing that Lina-san and Gourry-san are in love, even if they won't admit it. It makes me happy when I see them together, two noble champions of justice poised against the rising sun as a blazing icon of passion and victory, warding off all would-be evildoers and wicked creatures with their glorious aura of love and righteousness!  
  
But when I saw Zelgadis-san and that person together, I didn't feel happy at all. I felt sick and small inside, and petty and jealous. I don't want them to be together. I wanted Zelgadis to love me.  
  
I am a princess! A true champion of justice! And that- that person is just a- a-!  
  
Oh, it isn't fair! Why doesn't he love me? What did I do wrong?  
  
. . .  
  
It's not fair at all.  
  
* ~ * ~ * End Prologue* ~ * ~ *  
  
Author's Notes: And here we go . . . 


	2. Letters From Home! Amelia’s Disastrous ...

Chapter One: Letters From Home! Amelia's Disastrous News!  
  
"Amelia, calm down!" Lina says exasperatedly, yanking me down to a chair at the breakfast table. "What's got you so nervous today, anyway? You haven't sat still for more than five seconds since you came down from your room!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Lina-san," I say quickly, avoiding her eyes. I don't want her to know that I was crying last night.  
  
"Are you certain you are alright?" Zelgadis asks me quietly, slightly concerned sky-shard eyes peering out at me in shocking summer contrast to his winter-dull hood and mask. Oh, please don't look at me like that, Zelgadis-san . . . Don't trick me into thinking that you might ever have loved me.  
  
"I'm okay, Zelgadis-san!" I chirp, smiling as brightly as I can at him. Smiles come easily to me. Sometimes I think they come too easily, but that's silly, isn't it? Why would smiling even when it hurts be a bad thing?  
  
I'm not sure if Zelgadis believes me, but the food's just arrived, and it's not easy to talk over Lina and Gourry's eating. I dig in too, not really noticing what I'm eating. My mind is already back on what I saw last night in the inn's surprisingly lavish garden.  
  
The two of them, arguing like always, and I starting forward to stop them when suddenly-  
  
Zelgadis reached up and kissed him. That person. The Trickster Priest Xellos.  
  
And Xellos . . . Xellos had returned that kiss so sweetly and so tenderly that I had barely believed it was really him I was watching.  
  
Xellos. Of all the people my beautiful Zelgadis could have chosen, he picked the one and only Trickster Priest General of the Beastmaster; the most powerful mazoku but for Ruby-Eyed Shaburanigdo and the surviving of his five Dark Lords.  
  
Only . . . if they really are in love, neither of them really chose it, did they? You don't choose the one you love. If you could, I'd currently be falling for that cute busboy in the corner just to distract myself.  
  
But mazoku can't feel love, can they? They thrive on hate and pain. They can't really care about others- they're evil. Evil things can't feel love.  
  
. . . Eris loved Rezo.  
  
Where did that come from?!  
  
I feel kind of scared. For Zelgadis-san and myself, because I'm afraid that Xellos is just using Zelgadis or only playing with him until he decides to break his heart. And I'm afraid my heart is already broken and I'm not sure how to fix it.  
  
Xellos suddenly phases in behind Zelgadis, holding a finger to his lips and winking at me. Lina and Gourry are too busy with their meal to notice him, and I giggle automatically. I can't help but wonder how Zelgadis will react to Xellos's teasing now. Are they really "together" or just courting? Do Lina and Gourry know yet?  
  
Zelgadis looks at me curiously. "What's so funny?" he asks, sounding slightly suspicious.  
  
"Nothing, Zelgadis-san," I reply innocently, making sure to blink extra- cutely. Xellos cocks his head, looking a bit surprised that I haven't tried to rat him out like usual, but then his perpetual smile widens and he literally pounces Zelgadis with a playful snarl.  
  
Zelgadis yelps in shock and they both fall off the chair with a resounding thud, disappearing under the table. It's not exactly hard for me to guess what's going on, judging by Zelgadis's embarrassed cursing and Xellos's crazed giggling.  
  
Plus, the tabletop has a few narrow gaps between the planks, one of which is perfectly situated to let me see that Xellos has yanked the madly blushing Zelgadis's shirt up around his armpits and is licking his chest.  
  
I can't help smiling again, even as my heart starts to throb in my chest. Zelgadis chose this. If I really care for him, I can support his choice in lovers.  
  
Zelgadis squeaks in surprise as Xellos bites his ear.  
  
Aw, screw it.  
  
I'm pissed and jealous as hell.  
  
. . . Damn mazoku.  
  
* ~ * ~ * (((_@) . . . nani?! ((^-^)) sore wa himitsu desu!* ~ * ~ *  
  
We ran into each other again outside this town very late last night (as in, very early this morning) all looking for a pit stop on the seemingly never- ending quest(s) to find a copy of the Claire Bible, cure Zelgadis, replace the Sword of Light, and get dinner . . . not necessarily in that order, of course. Gotta keep the important stuff in perspective, y'know?  
  
Anyway, according to our multi-talented navigator Zelgadis, who is literally the definition of "Renaissance man", the place is called Clarity. He doesn't know why it's called that, although Xellos said something about "secrets". Honestly, I'm starting to think he's just snowing us half the time.  
  
According to Lina, however, this town is pretty cool. She and Gourry passed through a while back chasing a rogue mazoku and everyone was very friendly. It actually made enough of an impression that Gourry remembered the visit. They weren't even upset when Lina blew up a significant chunk of downtown to get the mazoku, and they all believed her explanation, even though Gourry was the only one who saw the mazoku and all anyone else saw was a big explosion. Lina says that they were honestly grateful (although they did make her help pay for repairs).  
  
From what I've seen, the place is a fair bit nicer than the average village and has an unusual amount of magic-users, though not quite enough to get suspicious over. Everyone I've spoken to has been pretty formal- but not quite formal enough to make me uncomfortable. Zelgadis won't talk to anyone at all, but that's nothing new, and he spent most of breakfast trying to disappear into his cloak while random people came up to us and struck up conversations about the silliest things.  
  
I like it a lot here, actually. That cute busboy tracked me down after we'd finished eating and gave me a few lollipops for the road, which I thought was very nice of him. Candy always makes me feel better, and I haven't been in that great a mood since the garden incident last night.  
  
Lina somehow got the idea that we should buy stuff while we were here and dragged all of us to the shopping district, then immediately abandoned Zelgadis and the lollipop-licking me in a dusty old bookstore in favor of the usual search for a sword that could handle Gourry's treatment. Zelgadis started leafing through the more archaic texts, looking for (what else?) a clue to his cure without even missing a beat.  
  
Normally, I'd try to help him, but right now I've still got some sulking to do, so I bury my nose in a cheap romance manga, lean back against the wall, and wonder how I got cast as the annoyingly clingy fangirl while Xellos, of all people, became the hero's One True Love.  
  
Zelgadis suddenly tenses slightly next to me and I look up sharply to see a blushing boy in front of us holding a small box of chocolate in front of himself.  
  
"For you," he says quickly, shoving it at me and then dashing out of the store. I blink at the box (ooo, it's my favorite kind!) and then look at Zelgadis, who's clearly just as puzzled as I am.  
  
The shopkeeper chuckles and looks up from his newspaper to wink at us. "Get used to it, kids; things like that happen a lot around these parts. Just smile and say thank you and you'll make their day, Miss," he advises.  
  
"But- But I don't even know him!" I protest, clapping a hand to my chest. I think I might be blushing.  
  
"Well, you took the lollipops, didn't you?" He looks amused as he gestures to the one in my mouth. "You didn't mind then."  
  
Zelgadis raises a rocky eyebrow at me. "'Ever hear about what happens to little girls who take candy from strangers, Amelia?" he asks dryly.  
  
Now I know I'm blushing. "Um . . ."  
  
Zelgadis just sighs. "Never mind; it's a lost cause anyway."  
  
"It's a little custom the kids around here started a while back," the shopkeeper explains, grinning mischievously. "Every week or so, one of them offers somebody new in town a little present of food or flowers; something like that. If the person accepts, then everyone of the opposite gender to that person gives them a gift too, and it keeps going on until the person either leaves or everyone's given them a gift. Then the one who gave the best-liked gift wins a date with whomever they want. You're going to be getting candy and flowers all day. Don't turn any of them down, or you'll wound their manly pride."  
  
I blush again at the thought of having boys come up to me all day with presents and Zelgadis scowls slightly.  
  
The shopkeeper laughs. "You're the overprotective sort, I see," he says with another chuckle. "Don't worry, the kids will be nice to your little sister."  
  
I can't help but sigh at that. "Little sister," eh? I wonder if that's how Zelgadis really does see me. That would be just my luck, wouldn't it?  
  
I suddenly realize that someone's tapping on my shoulder. I turn and immediately have a gigantic bouquet of white flowers thrust into my face.  
  
"Eep!" I squeak in surprise, and the boy holding them smiles sheepishly. He looks like he's a year or two younger than I am.  
  
"Sorry," he apologizes, then, with all the bluntness of puberty: "You like 'em?"  
  
I look down at the bouquet and feel my eyes automatically water. "Lilies," I say softly as a tear falls into the cluster of flowers and my most bittersweet memories come rushing back.  
  
"Amelia?" Zelgadis's hand hovers over my shoulder, clearly concerned but unable to bring himself to touch another human being if it isn't absolutely necessary. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," I say, quickly blinking back the rest of my tears. "Did I ever tell you about my mother, Zelgadis-san? She loved lilies, you know. They were her absolute favorites." I can't keep the wistful tone out of my voice. "They had so many at her funeral . . . I could never look at them quite the same way after that." His hand immediately drops to my shoulder and he gives a very gentle squeeze.  
  
The boy looks at me guiltily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset," he says in a small voice, looking like he's mentally kicking himself.  
  
I quickly shake my head. "No! No, I love them!" I smile and sniffle a little bit. "I haven't seen such gorgeous lilies since Mother died." His face brightens and he bows quickly; then runs out.  
  
The shopkeeper folds up his newspaper and looks at me gravely. "You will be a very beautiful queen," he says simply. "Your people are very lucky."  
  
"H- how did you-?" I stammer as the fingers of Zelgadis's free hand very lightly brush the hilt of his sword.  
  
The shopkeeper just smiles at us again, saying nothing. In the ensuing silence, I hear Lina's voice calling from out in the street. Zelgadis's hand tightens almost imperceptibly on my arm and I hurry towards the door. He follows me deliberately, and we walk right into Lina and Gourry.  
  
"Geez, are you guys still here?" Lina complains. "This place has the best shopping this side of Seyruun! Go out! Buy things! Waste your hard- stolen- er, earned- money! Live a little! And take off that stupid mask for once in your life!" she adds suddenly, scowling as her hand darts out to snatch the pale cloth from Zelgadis's face.  
  
Right here and now I am prepared to swear before Ceipheed himself that only Lina Inverse could ever have even a one-in-a-million chance of literally snatching Zelgadis Greywers's mask from right under his nose. And only Lina Inverse would ever be so insane as to even try it.  
  
Of course, she succeeds, because she is Lina, and before Zelgadis can do anything more than choke in surprise, his mask goes up in smoke between her fingers.  
  
"Lina!" he shouts, sounding horrified.  
  
"If you don't pull your hood back right now, I'm going after the cape next," she warns him, tossing the still-smoking ashes of the mask to the ground.  
  
"D- Don't you dare!" Zelgadis snaps, yanking his cowl tighter around his face as the usual torch and pitchfork-induced paranoia kicks in.  
  
Lina just smirks nastily and lifts her right hand, flame dancing across the open palm. Like always, Gourry ducks behind the nearest object he's willing to sacrifice. I'm almost insulted to find out that it's me.  
  
"Dammit, Lina!" Zelgadis yells angrily. As Lina releases her mini- Fireball, Xellos phases in, smiling benignly, just in time to get thoroughly roasted in Zelgadis's place.  
  
"Good morning, Lina-san!" he chirps through the flames. "Ah, what a nice day to go shopping!" Lina ignores the idle chitchat and starts to scream at Xellos for getting in her way as Zelgadis escapes in the direction of the nearest seedy (coffee) bar.  
  
That's odd, Xellos usually phases in behind people, not right in front of them. Did he do that on purpose, to be nice to Zelgadis and save his cape?  
  
Ohhh no, I am not thinking like this. Xellos is evil! Evil, evil, evil! He is not being nice to Zelgadis because he is evil and evil people do not do favors for other people . . . even if there is a distinct possibility that the person they are doing favors for may be sleeping with them.  
  
Ack! Ewewewewew! I did not just think that about poor Zelgadis-san and that awful Xellos, I did not, I did not, I did not! Champions of Justice do not think about their friends participating in questionable physical activities with powerful, charismatic hell-fiends!  
  
. . . even if it means that they may now have the chance to see every single yaoi and shounen ai doujinshi they've ever read come to life in glorious full-color, 3-D images. Maybe if I asked them really nicely, they'd let me watch . . .? I'll probably have to talk to Xellos first so he can soften Zelgadis up a little bit; after all, Zelgadis-san is always so self-conscious . . .  
  
. . . Did they put something funny in the orange juice this morning?  
  
~ * ~ * (((_-); ano. . . * ~ * ~ *  
  
I run into Zelgadis again that evening in a deserted florist's shop, where I find him thoughtfully eyeing a bouquet of irises the same color as Xellos's hair.  
  
It figures.  
  
"Zelgadis-san! There you are!" I chirp. He jumps, a guilty expression flashing across what little I can see of his face.  
  
"Hello, Amelia," he says softly.  
  
"Are you going to buy flowers for somebody, Zelgadis-san?" I ask innocently, picking up a pot of dying azaleas. How appropriate . . . Azaleas stand for first love.  
  
Zelgadis looks a little sad. "And who, Amelia, would accept flowers from something like me?" he asks, a slight bitterness tinge tainting his voice as his fingers unconsciously reach out to brush the petals of a single iris.  
  
I twitch slightly and tighten my grip on the pot, feeling a certain sense of aggravation. Oh, nobody in particular, Zelgadis-san, I'm certain I would never have wanted any, and of course Xellos wasn't enjoying it at all when you braided those daisies and thistles into his hair last night . . .  
  
"Get over yourself, Zelgadis-oniisan," I say with a sigh, not realizing that I've stuck "big brother" in there until it's out of my mouth.  
  
Zelgadis blinks and gives me a strange look from the eyes of his there-but- not-there mask. ". . . Amelia?" he asks finally.  
  
"What?" I ask blankly, pulling my own metaphorical mask up.  
  
He smiles, just a little and says, "Nothing," something almost . . . pleased in his voice. Does that mean . . .  
  
The tinny bell over the shop's door suddenly rings, and we both turn just in time to see a flustered girl with lavender hair dash in and vanish behind the counter. A moment later, a tall young man storms in after her and past us, looking furious.  
  
"That self-absorbed bitch!" he fumes. "She should be run out of town on a fucking rail!"  
  
"Dimitri-kun!" the lavender-haired girl protests as she returns from the back of the store, cradling a heavy metal box in her arms. "She's your sister!"  
  
"I don't care, Shizuka-chan!" he snaps back. "Ceipheed knows I love her, but she's an idiot! Honestly, leaving the store in the middle of the day to flirt with the blacksmith's son?! She didn't even lock up!"  
  
"But no one in our town would steal!" Shizuka cries. "See, the cash box is still here! So why does it matter?"  
  
Dimitri scowls. "You know that thief-girl and her boy-toy are back in town!" he says angrily.  
  
Shizuka claps her hands to her face, looking horrified. "Lina-sama and Gou- kun would never steal from us!" she shouts. "How could you even think such a thing?!"  
  
"I didn't say they would!" he retorts angrily, crossing his arms. "But you know how naïve outsiders can be when they choose companions! Haven't you seen those people they brought with them?!"  
  
"And what about them?!" Shizuka demands, slamming the cash box down the counter with a crash. "I suppose they are bandits, or jewel thieves, or- "  
  
"Mazoku," Dimitri says flatly. Shizuka gasps and my hands go numb. The azaleas fall from between my fingers, the pot crashing against the floor and shattering.  
  
Dimitri curses in surprise and spins around to face us as Shizuka yelps. Zelgadis and I just stare at them for a moment, and to my surprise, Dimitri relaxes instantly.  
  
"Oh, it's just the prince and princess," he says in relief.  
  
Zelgadis gives me a questioning look- a sort of a "what have you been telling people?" kind of look- but I don't know where they got the idea either.  
  
Shizuka, meanwhile, sighs in relief and pulls a broom and dustpan out from under the counter. "You frightened us," she says with a little laugh. "I thought you were a monster."  
  
"I- I'm sorry, Shizuka-san," I apologize faintly. "But . . . you said something about 'mazoku', Dimitri-san? What did you mean?"  
  
Dimitri and Shizuka share a brief glance between themselves, neither speaking. Zelgadis glares at me.  
  
"Amelia . . ." he says, a warning in his tone. "I think that's rather obvious, don't you?"  
  
I bite my lip. But if it's Zelgadis that they think is a mazoku, why are they being so polite to him? They don't seem afraid at all.  
  
But the only other person in our group . . .  
  
. . . is Xellos.  
  
The bell over the door rings again, and the devil himself sticks his head in. "Why, hello there," he greets us amiably.  
  
Shizuka screams.  
  
So does Dimitri- but his scream has another purpose besides the expression of abject terror. "ELMEKIA LANCE!"  
  
The absolute unexpectedness of the attack more than anything else lets it actually knock the bewildered Xellos out into the street, robes smoking. Dimitri instantly follows.  
  
"Xellos!" Zelgadis shouts as he, Shizuka, and I run after them.  
  
The street is strangely quiet, and everyone outside has either stepped aside or gone to back up Dimitri. Xellos is on his hands and knees, surrounded and looking too confused to get around to the slaughter.  
  
"Xellos-san, don't you dare kill any of them!" I yell.  
  
Xellos twitches. "They started it," he points out dryly.  
  
"But it's unjust to kill weaker people! And Lina-san will Dragon Slave you!" I counter crossly, pointing at him accusingly.  
  
"That won't be a problem," Dimitri says coldly. "I'll be the one Dragon Slaving you today, mazoku filth."  
  
Xellos's smile fades just a fraction. "Amelia, dear, perhaps you shouldn't be going around telling people such silly things," he remarks mildly, glancing in my direction.  
  
Dimitri just snorts. "Do you really not know?" he asks in disgust. "All things are clear to the people who live here. There are no lies, no false pretenses . . . and no ways to hide your true nature."  
  
Shizuka steps forward. "We are all telepaths and empaths, and possess the gift to see the monster in the man," she explains calmly. And then, as her eyes drift towards Zelgadis, she adds: "Or the man in the monster."  
  
Xellos pouts, suddenly in complete control again. "Oh, how cruel you are to say that Zel-kun's lovely skin looks like a monster's!" he cries in mock anguish. "I think it's simply scrumptious! So nice and hard all the time . . . "  
  
Zelgadis turns an interesting shade of purple. "XELLOS!" he bellows.  
  
Xellos somehow bats his eyes at Zelgadis without opening them. "That's right, dear, let's hear you scream it," he coos.  
  
"F-Fruitcake!" Zelgadis sputters, his blush darkening further. That's when I notice Shizuka giving him a puzzled look. The same expression is reflected on the faces of Dimitri and the townspeople surrounding Xellos.  
  
And silently, with no apparent communication, they all back off.  
  
"Eh?" Xellos raises an eyebrow at the crowd curiously.  
  
"You are evil," Shizuka says quietly. "But we will not hurt the innocent to get to you."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zelgadis asks the world in general bemusedly, scratching his head. I wonder if he's noticed yet that his hood fell down when we ran out of the shop.  
  
I think I know what she means though . . . If Xellos were hurt, Zelgadis would be hurt. I seriously doubt the villagers could actually kill him, but there are at least six or seven magic-users in the crowd, and they all have that look that Lina always wears- that kick-butt, "I am invincible and I know it" look. Obviously they aren't, but they'd still have to be pretty powerful to be that confident, and there are a heck of a lot more of them than Xellos. If they surrounded him and all attacked at once . . . Surely even Xellos couldn't survive a half-dozen simultaneous Dragon Slaves.  
  
Neither would the town, but that's beside the point.  
  
I'm sure Xellos is powerful enough to survive or at least escape even such a powerful attack, but he would definitely be injured. And even the slightest injury to a loved one makes you feel horrible. It isn't something that's often been a problem with Zelgadis, obviously. But I've still seen him bleed through that stone skin and gods, did it hurt.  
  
Xellos's smile is grim as he finally gets to his feet. I think Dimitri might've actually rattled him. Nothing he hasn't already recovered from, but he's lucky it wasn't a Dragon Slave. Dimitri hit him dead-on with the most perfectly focused spell I've seen since the last time Lina cast the Giga Slave. The guy's got amazing control- he didn't even scorch the flowers when almost anyone else would've taken out the whole building and then some.  
  
"Xellos . . .?" Zelgadis's voice is slightly uncertain, and he looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "We should be getting back." I'm not sure which of us he's talking to, but I answer.  
  
"Zelgadis-san is right!" I say fiercely. "It's dinnertime, and as noble champions of justice we must partake of the innkeeper's delicious roast beef so as not to make the devoted cook feel unappreciated for all his hard work!"  
  
Dimitri just stares at me. "I can't believe you're actually serious," he marvels. "Did you just call a mazoku a 'champion of justice'?"  
  
"Of course!" I huff, clenching my fists and frowning back at him as Zelgadis drags Xellos and I off without so much as a farewell. "Xellos-san is very devoted to upholding justice!" I yell back at the befuddled mob right before we turn the corner.  
  
"I am?" Xellos looks as surprised as Dimitri did.  
  
"Justice isn't just about protecting the downtrodden, it's about giving people what they deserve!" I declare, automatically jumping to the nearest high ground, which happens to be Zelgadis's shoulder. Luckily, he's more than strong enough to take my weight without flinching and keep walking. "Those who would harm innocents must pay in equal measure! The Gold Dragons most certainly deserved what they got!"  
  
Zelgadis's jaw hits the ground. "Whaaat?!" he sputters.  
  
"Oh my, Filia-san would definitely be displeased to hear that, Amelia- chan," Xellos observes, putting a finger to his lips.  
  
I falter slightly and steady myself with a hand on Zelgadis's head. His hair nicks the back of my wrist, but I ignore it. "Well, yeah, but Filia- san is a real champion of justice, and they were liars!" I point out. "They just killed the Ancients because they wanted to be the strongest ryuzoku! And at least Xellos didn't kill the children or the eggs! He killed the adults in a war!"  
  
Zelgadis looked at me, an odd smile curving his lips. "That's possibly the most insightful thing I've ever heard you say, Amelia," he says admiringly, his hand flitting up to brace my unsteady seat on his shoulder.  
  
If it's not my imagination, Xellos looks a little impressed too. "An interesting angle indeed," he observes. "I'll have to tell Zelas-sama that one."  
  
"It isn't an 'angle'!" I protest. "It's what I really think of you!"  
  
Xellos stops in his tracks and stares at me, his eyes wide open. Zelgadis halts too so we won't leave him behind.  
  
"Xellos?" he questions. "Something wrong?"  
  
"Ah, no," Xellos replies quickly. "Just a little . . . surprised. That's all."  
  
"No 'it's a secret'?" I ask dryly.  
  
Xellos gives me a thoughtful look. "I think you deserve a straight answer every now and then, Amelia-chan," he tells me after a moment. "It's only fair, isn't it?"  
  
I smile at him, feeling a little sad as Zelgadis sets me back down. Well, he did sort of steal my object of affection . . . not that I ever flat-out staked a claim on Zelgadis. I was waiting for him to come to me. It never even occurred to me that someone else might go to him first.  
  
Too late now, though. I might be able to wait it out, I suppose. I've still got a few years before I need to choose a husband, after all. But Xellos is immortal- and I've never asked, but I think Zelgadis might be too.  
  
Actually, I think Gourry is the only one out of all of us with a normal life span. Zelgadis is a chimera, Xellos is a mazoku, Filia and Valgarv (Valteria?) are ryuzoku, and of course Lina's made a habit of channeling the Lord of Nightmares, which means her life is either going to be terribly brief or ridiculously extended. And Sylphiel mastered the Dragon Slave, which pretty much kills the aging process right there. On top of that, she and I are both practically spilling over with white magic, which doesn't exactly encourage wrinkles either, if you catch my drift.  
  
But now that I think of it, Gourry had the Sword of Light for most of his life before giving it back to Dark Star's world, and he said that his ancestors all had it before him. It could've done any number of bizarre things to the family line. He might wind up living as long as any of us, assuming Lina can find him a decent sword or at least teach him magic. Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before a really powerful enemy shows up and he gets caught in the crossfire. But we don't talk about that.  
  
I suddenly realize that I'm alone again. I automatically backtrack and look around the last corner I'd turned. I can just make out Xellos and Zelgadis's shared silhouette at the other end of the street, the sun appropriately setting behind them. They're standing so close together that I can barely tell them apart, and Xellos's arms are loosely wrapped around Zelgadis, who is smiling and nuzzling against his chest in an almost uncharacteristic way.  
  
I catch Xellos's faint whisper of: "You worry too much, Zel-koi," and see Zelgadis blush at the suffix.  
  
"I can worry if I want to!" he snaps. "Even you have limits, Xellos!"  
  
"Zel-kuuunn . . . " Xellos pulls back, pouting. "You're still calling me that? You were the one who hit on me!"  
  
"Was I?" Zelgadis asks mildly. "I don't quite recall . . . remind me what I did, Xel-chan?"  
  
Xellos's pout turns into a wicked grin. "Well, if you insist . . ." he purrs, leaning forward to kiss him. I smile a little faintly as my eyes start to water and turn away from them.  
  
Oh yes, I've lost.  
  
But for some reason, I don't feel quite like slitting my wrists anymore.  
  
. . ~ * ~ * ((^o~)) ((@)) fireball! * ~ * ~ *  
  
As soon as I return to the inn (minus the flirty chimera, his mazoku boyfriend, our oft-charbroiled sword-swinger, and the sorceress doing the charbroiling), the busboy from this morning appears and worriedly gives me a plain white envelope sealed with the crest of Seyruun.  
  
"I don't think it's good news, Miss," he says, biting his lip and pulling out a chair from the nearest empty table for me.  
  
I don't understand what he's getting at- after all, the seal on the envelope is still whole, so how would he know? - but I rip it open on the spot and out onto the table falls a heavy, official-looking sheet of paper. With a growing sense of apprehension, I pick it up and read the brief message on it.  
  
  
  
We regret to inform Your Highness that the Crown Prince Philoniel has been ill as of late. Please return to Seyruun as soon as possible with your betrothed. Should you be unable to procure a fiancée, one will be provided. Thank you.  
  
  
  
  
  
Regards, Your Council  
  
The list of names following the last line is longer than the letter.  
  
I sink into the chair, still unable to believe the harsh bluntness of the words before me but dimly aware of the fact that when I do finally believe them, I'll want to be sitting down.  
  
~ * ~ * End Chapter One * ~ * ~ *  
  
Author's Notes: Well, that's the end of the beginning. Yes, I've already written the outline, and yes, it's going to be a long one- at least thirty chapters, plus the prologue and epilogue. Amount of chapters subject to change without warning due to stress, El Nino, unexpected bouts of inspiration, and random acts of God. Review, please, but I'm putting the rest of this story up whether you like it or not. There just aren't enough epics with yaoi in them, nor enough yaoi stories that don't waste half the plot on Amelia-bashing. Plus, I'm tired of reading stories with mush, fluff, and none of the usual Slayers soul! (You know, like cross-dressing, bandit killing, and frequent coffee breaks.) Since Harukami's wonderful Powers of Heart and Soul has yet to be finished and no one else seems interested in writing such a story, I'm taking it upon myself to fill the gap in the fandom as a champion of literary justice! Whoo. . . . Well, this should be interesting.  
  
* ~ * ~ * ((-^__^-))v champion of justice! * ~ * ~ * 


	3. Precious Tragedy! Zelgadis’s Lucky Tear...

Chapter Two: Precious Tragedy! Zelgadis's Lucky Tears!  
  
I collapse in the garden on the same bench where Zelgadis had kissed Xellos. An appropriate place to cry one's eyes out- the place you lost your first love to a violet-eyed demon with Chinese silk for hair, flawless ivory skin, and legs that just won't quit. Worse still, a male violet-eyed demon with Chinese silk for hair, flawless ivory skin, and legs that just won't quit.  
  
But Xellos is beautiful, and I am not. And he is with Zelgadis, and I am alone.  
  
This is so confusing- one minute I'm happy for Zelgadis; the next I feel like wringing Xellos's throat. Or both of their throats.  
  
I feel a hand suddenly descend on my head, rough stone gently smoothing back my hair and a soft voice whispering: "You okay, little sister?"  
  
"No," I mutter, burying my face in my arms. "I got a letter from the Council. Daddy's sick." 'And you're fucking the mazoku instead of me.'  
  
Zelgadis sits on the bench and I move my head to his lap. "I'm sorry," he says gently. "I know how close you are to him, and I understand how you feel."  
  
"How could you?" I ask bitterly.  
  
"I don't have a father anymore, you know," Zelgadis tells me. "He died a long time ago. It was . . . quite distressing."  
  
I have to ask. "How did he die?"  
  
"His heart was very sick," Zelgadis replies quietly, his fingers combing through my hair a bit distractedly. "And . . . when he saw what I had allowed myself to become . . ."  
  
A tiny, sparkling sphere falls to his lap. For a moment, I almost fool myself into thinking it's a tear. But it sits on his leg, glittering, blue, and perfectly round, and I recognize it as a jewel.  
  
"What on earth . . .?" I ask wonderingly, reaching out to touch it. Another, darker, one joins it, and I look up just in time to see a third fall from Zelgadis's eye.  
  
It IS a tear.  
  
He smiles down at me brokenly and makes a noise that would be a sob coming from anyone but him. "He died . . . in my arms. No one even blamed me. But that was the first time I cried like this . . . So you see, I cannot even mourn like a real human."  
  
"Screw humanity," I say fiercely, hugging his waist. "You're my brother. You'll always be my brother, even if you become a human again. Even if you become a mazoku, you will always be my brother."  
  
"A mazoku?" He blinks, suddenly puzzled. "Why would I become a mazoku?"  
  
'Because Xellos is so beautiful, and I'm afraid that he is as seductive to you as the thought of your cure is. Because he has control over you now, and that means that he could talk you into serving his mistress,' I think, but I only say: "I just meant that your body doesn't matter as much as you say it does. Especially not to me."  
  
"Thank you," Zelgadis says softly, crossing his ankles and reaching into his pack. He pulls out a large drawstring pouch and drops his three tears inside. He pauses for a moment; then holds the bag out to me. "These . . . I sell them sometimes, with luck charms or, um," he blushes slightly, "love spells on them. Magic takes very easily to them, you see, and I have lived off the profits without trouble before. They're part of the reason I don't need to steal like Lina does to support myself. So . . . I want you to have them, just in case. They come in handy."  
  
I take the bag and let it fall open. Brilliant blue jewels spill over the dark velvet, and I can barely keep them all in my hands. "There are so many . . ." I whisper. "Onii-san, why do you cry so much?"  
  
He doesn't answer me, only sighs.  
  
"You shouldn't need to cry," I say tightly, blinking back my own tears. "You're such a wonderful person, you have lots of friends . . ." not to mention a lover . . . "plus, you're really strong and even Xellos admits that you look cool."  
  
Zelgadis blinks at me; then bursts into laughter. "Amelia!" he cries.  
  
"Whaaat?" I say defensively. "I mean, if you're just bummed out because you can't get any- well, if all else fails, you could always go out with him."  
  
Zelgadis literally doubles over laughing. "Oh! My! GOD! Amelia, are you nuts?!"  
  
So, their relationship is a secret then. How . . . appropriate.  
  
"Or I guess you could try Miwan again . . ." I add thoughtfully.  
  
"Please, Amelia-chan, I'm DYING!"  
  
  
  
* ~ * ~ * ((-^_^-))v champion of justice! * ~ * ~ *  
  
  
  
In the morning I feel slightly better and slightly worse at the same time. Xellos's smile seems somehow more genuine than usual, and Zelgadis blushes even more than he does on a normal day- which admittedly can be a lot, so Lina and Gourry don't seem to notice that anything's different.  
  
Breakfast, as always, is a raucous affair, and Xellos eats the most sugary ice cream confection I've seen outside of Seyruun while Zelgadis won't touch anything that doesn't come in a coffee pot. Lina and Gourry are less picky and eat whatever's put in front of them, including certain portions of my meal and almost a chunk of the waitress's hand. If it weren't for the locals' certain mental skills, she probably would've lost a couple of fingers. This leads to the cute busboy from yesterday being sacrificed- um, "volunteered"- to take care of our table for the rest of the morning  
  
He's a good sport, at least, and doesn't mind being pounced when he brings food, so he and Lina are getting along as well as the Dragon Spooker and anyone in the restaurant business could be expected to.  
  
"You know," he says conversationally as he slips a plate past Lina and to me, "if you still want that new sword, there's a rather interesting one I've heard of in a nearby city . . ."  
  
Lina cocks her head slightly and pauses with her fork still in her mouth. Gourry just about leaps out of his chair, grabs the busboy, and sits him down. The busboy "eep"s in surprise, which must be a first for him; telepaths aren't often surprised, after all.  
  
"What were you saying?" Lina asks innocently, raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Um . . ." The busboy sweatdrops slightly at the sudden attention. "It's just, there's a town a few miles down the road . . . it's called 'Onyx'. They're kind of famous in, um, 'certain circles'."  
  
"Oh? I've never heard of it," Lina says, a trace of suspicion in her voice.  
  
"I have," Zelgadis, Xellos, and I all say in perfect unison, though with varying levels of enthusiasm.  
  
The busboy winces slightly as Lina gives him a Look. "Ah, the more . . . 'scholarly' magic-users know it rather well . . ." His voice trails off as Lina's expression gets very, very scary.  
  
"Who needs that junk anyway?!" she yells. "I'm a beautiful sorcery GENIUS, and I learned my spells the hard way, not by being cooped up in some stupid library until I was too old to use 'em anyway!"  
  
"I beg your pardon!" Zelgadis glares at her. "Are you calling me 'old', Lina?"  
  
"Lina-san, it is so unjust to say that we wasted our time like that!" I cry in dismay, jumping to my feet and clenching my fists. "The pursuit of knowledge is a noble and worthy cause for any righteous champion of justice, and we should always answer its call! Nay, we MUST, for only in answering that sacred call may we truly consider ourselves as just and true!" The usual delight and love for mankind that comes with a really excellent speech swells in my breast, and I pause for a moment to relish it.  
  
"Ow," Xellos mutters, wincing slightly and massaging his head.  
  
"Amelia . . ." Zelgadis gives me a dubious look over his coffee cup. "Let's wait until AFTER breakfast to kill the mazoku, hm? I don't want him dying and ruining my appetite."  
  
"What appetite?" Gourry asks, looking genuinely curious. Zelgadis twitches slightly.  
  
"The SWORD?!" Lina yells.  
  
Busboy (for lack of a name) pulls a book out of thin air in a way not unlike something Xellos might do. Another magic-user. Yay. "My name's Sonersay," he says out of what the others probably think is the blue. "And yes, I thought the magic-user bit was rather obvious, though I really wish you wouldn't compare me with the fruitcake mazoku."  
  
"Um, sorry?" I try with a slight wince.  
  
" 'Fruitcake', eh?" Xellos asks dryly. Zelgadis gets a slightly guilty look on his face.  
  
"The sword I am referring to is the Sword of Diamonds, cliché as the name may be," Sonersay explains, flipping his book open and rifling through it. "Now, the town is a rather well-off place. Technically, it should be considered a city, but they pay heavily not to be. They do not like attention, because there are some somewhat iffy dealings going on there most of the time."  
  
Lina raises an eyebrow again. "What kind of 'iffy' are we talking about here?" she asks suspiciously.  
  
"As in the kind that sells things like the Sword of Diamonds with no questions asked," Sonersay retorts sourly, giving her a slightly dubious look. "I love you, Lina-sama; we all do. But I'm not fooling myself about you. It's not the sort of place that you'll have trouble dealing with, believe me."  
  
"Sounds good, then." Lina grins and leans forward, gesturing with her fork. "Now, what's in that book, eh?"  
  
"It's for the Princess," Sonersay tells her. "From Shizuka Kurasawa at the flower shop. Well, actually, I'm supposed to say it's from Dimitri, since Shizuka-chan isn't supposed to be giving you gifts, much less such a valuable one. Dimitri's pretty pissed that she's giving it to you, but if you're going to Onyx, you'll need it."  
  
"What's it about?" I ask curiously, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of the cover. It's tattered and brown, with the words 'El Beso del Corazon' scripted in gold on the spine.  
  
" 'Beso del Corazon'?" Lina reads. "What the heck's that mean?"  
  
" 'Kiss of the Heart'," Zelgadis translates, blushing.  
  
"To be honest, I don't really understand what the book's about, per se; I just know that Shizuka's always writing in it," Sonersay confessed. "It's been in her family for a while now, but it gets lent out a lot to travelers whenever the current Kurasawa heir decides it's 'needed'. Dimitri's ancestors have always been very close to the book too. They're very secretive about it, especially for Clarity, but from what I've understood, it's some kind of reference book."  
  
"A reference book named 'Kiss of the Heart'?" Lina inquires flatly.  
  
Zelgadis perks up. "Oh? What kind of reference book?"  
  
"Sorry, no 'cure', as you so cutely phrase it," Dimitri says dryly, startling everyone but Sonersay as he leans over my shoulder and onto the table. "It's got maps and definitions for some pretty obscure stuff, but you, Prince Chimera, are one of a kind, and it doesn't get any more obscure than that."  
  
"I hate to keep sounding stupid, but what the hell do you mean by 'Prince Chimera'?" Lina demands sourly.  
  
Dimitri just shrugs and scoots up a little closer to me. "I have a present that's really from me," he tells me, pulling a beribboned pouch out from his vest pocket. "Seeing as the book's just a loan, and more Shizuka- chan's than mine, anyway."  
  
"Th- thank you, Dimitri-san," I say automatically, catching the pouch as he drops it into my hands.  
  
"Feh," he mutters, shrugging again. "It's just a few magical trinkets. You can look them up later in the book- it's easy to operate. You just stroke the spine, say what you want to look up, and let it fall open."  
  
Lina snatches the book, runs two fingers up its spine, and says, "Sword of Diamonds," in an authoritative tone. She drops it open, and reads aloud, " 'La Espada bonita de Diamentes . . .' Oh, for crying out loud, it's all written in gibberish."  
  
Zelgadis takes the book from her, raising a pebbled eyebrow. "For heaven's sake, Lina, it's only Spanish. Wait, let me guess- you took Latin instead." He clears his throat and begins to read haltingly, translating for our sakes as he goes. " 'The beautiful Sword of Diamonds . . . is legendary for the unbreakable quality of its blade . . .' "  
  
"That'll come in handy, all right," Lina grumbles with no small amount of resentment. Gourry has already broken three swords this month in minor bandit-related skirmishes.  
  
Zelgadis ignores her and continues: " 'The sword's blade is said to be made completely of a powerfully enchanted diamond . . . and is capable of damaging even high-level mazoku. It is also an excellent conductor of magic, especially . . . black or Nightmare magic. White magic is not as . . . potent, because a sword is designed to . . . do damage and it is designed to heal and purify. Shamanist, while not the sword's specialty . . . works far better than white magic . . .' "  
  
"I can still hit stuff with it, right?" Gourry asks worriedly.  
  
"Yes, Gourry, you can still hit stuff with it," Zelgadis replies dryly, closing the book and sliding it over to me. "Besides, if we go after this sword, it will be for the strength of the blade, not its magical abilities. You wouldn't need the channeling abilities, though Lina may be able to make use of them if we ever run into another Dark Lord or anything to that effect. To be honest, the thing's so perfect for our purposes that one might call it a deus ex machina."  
  
"What, like L-sama got writer's block?" Xellos looks amused. "Interesting view, Zel-kun."  
  
"You said it, not me." Zelgadis smirks into his coffee cup and Xellos chuckles almost warmly.  
  
I open Dimitri's pouch and shake it out into my hand while the others debate the merits of the sword vs. the possibility of yet another trap. Four small clear crystals and one larger one drop into my free hand. For a second, they spark the same cerulean as my remaining two pentacles, and then all trace of color vanishes from their surfaces.  
  
My fingers stroke the book's binding briefly, and I mutter, "Dimitri's gift," for lack of a more technical name.  
  
Curiously enough, the book opens to a page labeled "Regalo de Dimitri", with an ink sketch of the four crystals, each with a blurred silhouette behind them and a brief incantation that I couldn't even begin to pronounce scrawled underneath them.  
  
"Translation?" I ask hopefully. The words blur; then come clear in recognizable script, thankfully. " 'These are my loves,' " I begin under my breath.  
  
" 'This is my soul  
  
These are the ones  
  
Keeping me hale and whole . . .  
  
Spirit Charm.' "  
  
I realize a moment too late that I don't know what in hell this spell is going to do.  
  
  
  
~ * ~ * End Chapter Two * ~ * ~ *  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
In the likely case that you haven't read my webjournal, here's a copy of the post I put up today, because you'll most likely be interested if you're a fan of this story.  
  
"Good news for those of you who read "Slayers REGAL"- I'm finally getting off my butt and writing in it again. I should be posting the new chapter by the end of the day.  
  
It takes a while for me to finish an update in "REGAL" since the chapters tend to be longer than the typical installment for ff.net (the prologue was brief enough, but chapter one was about seventeen pages long. O_O;; ). Meh. I'll most likely be making them shorter from now on. Either way, you guys get more bang for your buck; either because I'm updating faster or because I'm giving you longer chapters."  
  
  
  
* ~ * ~ * ((-^__^-))v champion of justice! * ~ * ~ * 


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